Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges on Friday during their first day of court appearances in Richmond.

The couple was indicted earlier this week on charges stemming from a gift scandal that has tarnished the reputation of the former governor, a once-rising star in the Republican Party. Their trial is scheduled to begin July 28, according to news reports.

At a bond hearing earlier Friday, Magistrate Judge David Novak released the McDonnells on their own recognizance and said they may not leave the country, The Associated Press reported. The couple has surrendered their passports, an attorney for the ex-governor reportedly said.

Novak also lashed out at legal teams on both sides of the case over leaks. “The gamesmanship with the media ends now,” Novak said, according to the AP.

The couple held hands as they entered the courthouse and Bob McDonnell said “Good morning” to people gathered outside, according to video posted by NBC 12.

The Republican ex-governor, who left office this month at the end of his term, has said he did not break the law when his family accepted an alleged $165,000 in gifts and loans from a businessman whose dietary supplement products the McDonnells helped promote. An attorney for the former first lady has also said she is innocent.

“I will use every available resource and advocate that I have for as long as it takes to fight and prevail against these false allegations and the unjust overreach of the federal government,” Bob McDonnell said at a news conference Tuesday.

Prosecutors have said the McDonnells could potentially face decades in prison and millions of dollars in fines, though the penalty is expected to be less severe if they are convicted.

Scrutiny over the gifts and loans had been mounting for months.

Federal prosecutors allege the gifts included luxury clothing for Maureen McDonnell and an engraved Rolex watch that the businessman, former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, bought for Maureen to give to her husband.

Last year, Bob McDonnell publicly apologized for the embarrassment the scandal caused the state and said his family had repaid about $120,000 in loans.